After two nights of protests in downtown Chicago over the 2014 death of 17-year-old Laquan McDonald at the hands of a police officer, activists are now calling for a Black Friday protest on the city's famed Magnificent Mile.
Activist Mark Carter called on people to "rise up" and shut down the shopping area on Friday. Protesters also planned to target the Board of Trade and other landmarks in the coming days, he said.
And Father Michael Pfleger, a well-known Chicago priest and social activist, posted a call for demonstrations, starting at 11 a.m. local time on Friday, to his Facebook page.
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Also on Wednesday, President Barack Obama, who called Chicago home for years before being elected, issued his first statement on McDonald's shooting and the video, saying he was, "deeply disturbed" by the footage.
.@POTUS on the tragic shooting of 17-year-old Laquan McDonald: https://t.co/CJ93od5PXO pic.twitter.com/QRAqO5PnaC— The White House (@WhiteHouse) November 25, 2015
On Tuesday, after an investigation that lasted over a year, former Chicago Police officer Jason Van Dyke was charged with first-degree murder in the shooting death of McDonald.
Perhaps more significantly, the city released dash cam video which showed Van Dyke shooting McDonald 16 times, many of those times while the teen was on the ground. The video also contradicted the initial Chicago Police Department report, which claimed McDonald had been approaching officers when he was shot; the video clearly shows McDonald walking away from officers when Van Dyke opens fire.
The video's release, as well as Van Dyke's indictment, has sparked two nights of protests in Chicago so far, with most of the demonstrations happening in the downtown area.
150-200 protestors outside the Trump Tower, #Chicago #LaquanMcDonald pic.twitter.com/OcqaliveTf— General Delinquent (@daneyvilla) November 26, 2015
Chicago activists chant, "16 shots!" #LaquanMcDonald was shot 16 times. pic.twitter.com/WHj9sAun6A— Kelly Bauer (@BauerJournalism) November 25, 2015
A total of eight people have been arrested during two days of protests around the city, including four on misdemeanor charges on Wednesday night.
Meanwhile, the fallout from the video has resulted in calls for a deeper investigation into the Chicago Police Department. Carter and others want the Department of Justice to investigate the Chicago Police Department and its history of covering up bad behavior. And the Urban League of Chicago joined in the call for a federal investigation, alleging a pattern of "discriminatory harassment" against black people.
There were also calls aimed at Chicago leaders. The Rev. Jesse Jackson said other officers involved in McDonald's death should be fired or at least suspended. He also wants a special prosecutor appointed to the case, complaining that Cook County State's Attorney Anita Alvarez took too long to bring a murder charge in the shooting, which happened more than a year ago.
The National Bar Association also issued a call for the resignations of Alvarez and Chicago Police chief Garry McCarthy.